MSc Accounting and International Management

Course overview

The programme aims to provide students with a thorough postgraduate education in the field of international management, with a specialism in accounting and its international aspects.

The MSc Accounting and International Management programme is distinctive in its international flavour, with a strong emphasis on the international business themes necessary for analysing the dynamic global business challenges of the 21st century. It offers a critical understanding of current management theories and global accounting practices. The programme covers issues relating to international strategic management, managing people and organisations, global financial reporting, corporate governance, ethics and the fundamentals of marketing.

How we teach you

A holistic approach

Effective leadership requires more than first-class business acumen. It also requires a degree of self-awareness and sensitivity. Henley is renowned for its well-researched, professional approach to this aspect of business education and all our postgraduate programmes examine this aspect of leadership - helping to create emotionally intelligent graduates who can be fully effective in their chosen careers.

How you will learn

Henley Business School enjoys a strong reputation for the practical application of business ideas and concepts, underpinned by academic excellence and the strength of our research. We offer high-quality technical skills training as well as a deep understanding of the importance of personal development for leaders, a thread that runs through all of our Masters programmes.

Our postgraduate Masters programmes feature a mix of core and optional modules, allowing you to tailor your degree towards your individual personal development needs and career ambitions. You will complete up to 10 taught modules during your programme, totalling 180 credits. One module usually equates to 20 credits or 10 hours of work per week. Your week will include lectures, tutorials, workshops and personal study, with each accounting for 25% of your time on average. This stimulating mix of lectures and interactive tutorials provides you with the opportunity to discuss and explore the subject material in depth with your lecturers and fellow students. You will be introduced to the latest thinking and research findings and be able to challenge some of those that have created it. You will also explore real-world issues and tackle current business challenges, and interact with guest lectures and speakers from industry, giving you the opportunity to test, extend and refine your knowledge and skills.

How we assess you

You will learn and be assessed through a wide variety of teaching methods which vary depending on your chosen Masters programme. These include online materials and multimedia content, guest lectures, individual and group assignments, case studies, field visits, dealing room simulations, presentations, applied projects, consultancy work and examinations.

On average examinations form between 50 - 70% of the assessed work with the remaining coming from coursework, including a written dissertation or project depending on your chosen programme. The exam period falls between April and June in the summer term. Graduation normally takes place in December.

Ongoing support

While postgraduate students are self-motivated and determined individuals, study at this level can present additional pressures which we take seriously. Lecturers are available to discuss the content of each module and your academic tutor can meet with you regularly to discuss any additional issues. Full-time support staff are also available to help with any questions or issues that may arise during your time at Henley.

How to apply

Apply for 2019 entry now

There are two different application processes: apply online and apply by post.

The quickest and easiest way to apply for Postgraduate study at Henley Business School, at the University of Reading is through the University’s online application service.

This allows you to complete your application information, attach electronic copies of your academic transcripts, certificates and other supporting information and also provides a facility for an email request to be sent to your referees enabling them to send your supporting references directly to us.

Apply online

Apply online now using the University of Reading's online application system.

Apply by post

If you are unable to apply online you can request a paper application form by telephoning +44(0) 118 378 5289 or writing to the Admissions Office, University of Reading, Miller Building, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AB, UK.

When to apply

We operate a rolling admissions system and it is recommended that you apply early to secure your place. There is no specific deadline and applications will be considered until the programme is full. However, to allow time for us to process your application we recommend that you apply by the following dates for admission in October:

UK/EU applicants: by 1 August

International applicants: by 1 June

After you apply

You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your application form. Your application is then reviewed by a member of staff. Successful applicants will receive a formal offer letter outlining any necessary entry cri­teria you will need to meet and you will be asked to confirm your acceptance of this offer.

A (non refundable) deposit of between £500 and £1,000 (depending on the programme you have applied for) is payable upon acceptance of an offer of a place. International applicants requiring a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) for a visa will be sent the CAS details by email once all conditions of the offer have been met, and the relevant deposit has been paid.

Throughout the admissions process we will keep you updated with key information via email. We also provide opportunities to interact with faculty and staff online.

You can find us on Facebook and keep up-to-date with news and events in the School or ask us a question. In addition, you can speak to a current student; our students and alumni are always happy to share their Henley experience.

Meet Us

If you are unable to attend a postgraduate event please get in touch with our team. We will be happy to speak to you by telephone, on Skype or through our Live Chat system (during UK office hours: 9 - 5 pm).

High calibre students: always oversubscribed, 1,000 ambitious new Master's students join Henley each year

Award winning campus: beautiful, green, 134 hectares, with state of the art facilities

World-leading faculty: widely published, frequently asked for expert comment by media and to speak at events

Henley is proud to be part of the University of Reading. The University is ranked within the top 250 universities worldwide (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2018 and QS World University Rankings 2018) and 98% of the research is rated as being of international standard.

Compulsory modules:

This module aims to introduce students to the core concepts and models underlying contemporary strategic management, their theoretical and empirical foundations, their limitations, the arguments surrounding them and their practical application to real issues facing real companies. This module provides students with an understanding of the conceptual and analytical tools of strategic management and economics.

This module introduces students to the basic concepts, principles and techniques involved in marketing, and to the role of marketing management within all types of organisations (retail, consumer goods, industrial goods, service, non-profit oriented, domestic and international). Students will develop an appreciation of the special requirements for successfully conducting marketing activities by concentrating on the market-oriented approach to doing business.

This course is about how organisations behave and how people behave in organisational settings. It is both practically useful and intellectually challenging. The module will explore three distinct bodies of knowledge: firstly, your informal and tacit knowledge of organisations gained from everyday life; secondly, the mainstream approaches to organisational behaviour (OB) and management studies; and finally, alternative, critical approaches drawn from OB and the wider social sciences.

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop their critical knowledge and understanding of the decision-useful and stakeholder-related aspects of financial reporting. This is achieved through an exploration of the principles and methods that underlie both the preparation and presentation of financial statements in an international context.

This module aims to develop further students’ critical knowledge and understanding of financial reporting by considering broader social and political aspects of accounting practice. It is an intermediate to advanced study of financial reporting that builds on the concepts and techniques covered in the International Financial Reporting 1 module (MMM062). Students will develop both applied and theoretical expertise and skills, as a result of this course.

Provisions

Preparation and interpretation of the key components of group accounting reporting

Creative accounting

Financial instruments: classification and presentation (fundamentals)

The concept of public interest in the context of accounting theory and practice

This module aims to help students get the most from the learning opportunities offered during their MSc course. It provides students with an understanding of what is required to perform well in essays, dissertations, projects, report writing and examinations at the University of Reading. It develops students’ awareness of the appropriate use of methodology, theory, data, literature reviews and original research for a Masters dissertation or project.

This module covers the development of corporate governance codes of practice in the UK and around the world. Students undertaking this course will gain a critical and holistic view of corporate governance, which will include an examination of some of the key contextual factors: boards of directors, institutional investors, transparency, sustainability reporting, ethical issues and responsible investment.

What am I going to do when my course ends, and how am I going to achieve it? This module has been designed to help Accounting, Informatics and Business Management students answer those two questions, and empower them to take the actions required. It’s a suite of sessions that pays close attention to the general pathways Business Management, Accounting and Informatics students tend to take, and their aspirations as expressed during pre-sessional career activities & induction surveys. Students will choose this the mix of custom-made sessions that best suit their stage in life and supplement them with the open careers programmes offered at the University, the online content on the Henley Careers Blackboard site and 1-2-1 careers consultations.

The Project enables students to undertake independent research on a specified topic relating to international accounting and/or financial management. With the guidance and support of a supervisor, students manage their own project, taking an aspect of theory and applying it to real companies. Previous projects, for example, have involved analysing published accounts of listed companies to investigate financial performance, dividend policy and the management of capital structure.

Students undertaking this module will gain an awareness of the appropriate use of methodology, theory, data, literature review and original research that is required for a Masters dissertation. Students will thus be equipped with the necessary skills that will enable them to conduct their own piece of original research, analyse the results and present their findings.

The nature and practice of research

The literature review process and the composition of a literature review

Optional Modules:

Students choosing the dissertation must choose ONE optional module from the list below. Students choosing the Management or Accounting project must choose TWO optional modules. Students choosing MMM054 cannot choose MMM027 and vice versa.

This module concerns the entrepreneurial activity and the distinctive features of management in the SME environment, its complexity, the additional challenges and risks related to the small dimension, but also its advantages.

By the end of the module students are expected to be able to question theories and standard knowledge, often referring to large corporations, and apply this body of knowledge to SMEs.

The module consists of lectures and seminars. The seminars focus on the students’ groupwork on their Business Plans. Entrepreneurs and experts from the business world contribute to the module by sharing and discussing their experience.

This module uses annual reports and accounts, company web sites and share price data to study aspects of business strategy over time; company performance and executive remuneration; and financial performance and valuation. It involves group work, presentations and discussions, as students are asked to analyse a selection of materials, in order to apply the knowledge developed across the programme. Assessment is individual and based on case studies.

Content may include the analysis of:

a company’s strategy

its executive remuneration policy

its financial performance

its share price performance

the use of other performance measurement metrics (such as the Balanced Scorecard)

the value of the company using various valuation techniques to assess future prospects and to evaluate the current share price

This module aims to foster a critical awareness of organisational design (OD) issues to enable informed decision-making in the workplace. The course will highlight contemporary thinking, which places greater emphasis on a more adaptive, emergent process of organising to suit complex changing circumstances within an international context. Theory and practice of contemporary organising are examined for their links with organisational performance.

Enterprise Systems (i.e. ERP, CRM, SCM and KMS) are used to reinforce the efficiency and productivity of businesses, however implementation failure-rates remains high. This module helps students to understand the organisational and business impact of using Enterprise Systems, the potential role of Enterprise Systems in organisational transformation and change, and highlights the benefit and risk aspects involved in systems implementation.

Outline content

• Understand Enterprise System solutions;

• Appreciation of Enterprise Systems implementation methodologies;

• Understand business risk factors, and how such risks can be minimised;

• Appreciating the impact of Enterprise Systems on stakeholder relationships;

• Consider the business benefit of integrating business functions; • Understanding the business conflict involved in process reengineering and customisation.

This module aims to define the ‘cultural industries’ and identify the key features of these sectors that explain their structure and functioning over time. It identifies the main challenges for organisations involved in the production or distribution of cultural products and services, and critically analyses the various ways in which organisations have responded to these challenges in different commercial and cultural contexts.

Clusters, or localised production systems, are a pattern of business organisation to be found in a variety of industries and countries around the world. These include creative industries such as video and film industries, design and fashion, advertising, music, publishing, but also IT, bio-medical and engineering industries, as well as agro- and food-processing industries. Clusters are major contributors to national economies and have attracted the interest of policy makers as well as academics.

The module covers conceptual and empirical aspects of the topic. It includes a discussion of the business dynamics taking place within clusters and to what extent these are a source of competitive advantage for newly established as well as long-established firms.

The aim of this module is to enable students to appraise and appreciate business practices in unfamiliar contexts, and to explain the differences between these and the contexts that they are familiar with. Moreover, students will learn how managers can address challenges of cross-cultural situations, such as transferring management practice, business negotiations, multicultural teams and expatriation.

Fees & funding

Please note that a non-refundable deposit is payable when confirming your acceptance of an offer of a place. This is part of your tuition fee and will be deducted from the total amount upon enrolment.

UK/European Union Postgraduate Loans

Loans of up to £10,000 are available to eligible students studying for postgraduate Master's courses from the 2019-2020 Academic year. In general, students need to be domiciled in England. EU students, and individuals falling within certain specified categories, may also be eligible.

Not quite at the required level of English language proficiency for your chosen programme?

Applicants to Henley Business School, whose first language is not English, will be required to attain the International English Language Test Scores (IELTS), or equivalent acceptable qualification accepted by the University, as defined below, to enter a programme.

However, for students who successfully complete one of the Pre-sessional English Language courses run by our International Study and Language Institute, a half-band credit will be applied to their English language condition. (For example - programmes requiring IELTS 7.0 will accept students with a result of 6.5 in the end of Pre-sessional English course assessment providing the student has completed the relevant English course with us).

Students completing the above mentioned pre-sessional courses would be allowed entry onto their chosen programme with an overall score of 6.5 for all programmes except Information Management, which will generally accept 6.0.

UK visa requirements

If you are not a national of the European Union (EU), it is likely that you will need to obtain a UK visa to live and study in the UK before you travel. See the UK Border Agency website. Contact the University's International Office with any questions: intoff@reading.ac.uk.

Tier 4 visa pilot scheme

Careers

The MSc Accounting and International Management programme is distinctive in its international flavour, with a strong emphasis on the international business themes necessary for analysing the dynamic global business challenges of the 21st century.It offers a critical understanding of current management theories and global accounting practices. The programme covers issues relating to international strategic management, managing people and organisations, global financial reporting, corporate governance, ethics and the fundamentals of marketing.

Graduates from this programme will enhance their employability in a range of careers related to their first-degree discipline or in a general international management as well as more specialized accounting roles.

Accreditation Information

Speak to a student

Our students and alumni are always keen to share their Henley experience, whether you are a prospective applicant or you've already applied for a place on a Masters programme at Henley Business School. For a unique insight into every aspect of life in the School and on campus, you can contact any of our students and alumni below, via email, Skype or social media.

When contacting one of our students for the first time, please introduce yourself and the Masters programme you have applied for before you outline any questions you might have.

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